What options do Cowboys have to move on from Prescott?

[gimmesix]

Can’t they do something with the voidable years? I’ve seen that mentioned elsewhere.

They could make most of his base salary of $29 million into bonus and push it into the voidable years, essentially lowering his cap hit this year by around $20 million, but then next year, he's a free agent owed $56 million.

 

[Silverstar]

The post I responded to didn't ask what we would do, it asked what we thought ownership would do. Ownership will extend him. Anyone expecting something different from that is going to be highly disappointed.

I could live with trading him and giving Lance a shot this year even if it would probably go poorly, but with a no-trade clause, I don't think that happens. I'm OK with trying to build up other parts of the team this year, but essentially tanking if Lance is bad and then finding our next QB early in the first. If Lance plays well, then we can build from there. But it's a dream scenario because there's no way a coach on a one-year contract is going to want to take that risk and the Joneses have shown they will pay big money to their own FAs, including this one.

You said the only option ownership is looking at is extending Dak. I don't think that it is...especially with the Lamb and Parsons deals knocking on the door so to speak.

 

[rambo2]

Being runner up MVP might also have teams wanting to trade for Dak rather then go with Cousins, Mayfield or a rookie. If Jerry has multiple teams calling him then he should listen and Dak and his agent would be wise to accept that rather than accept a June 1st cut. Dak LOVERS don't want to hear any of this of course. I have the same amount of love for Rush and Lance as I do for Dak...none at all. Dak hasn't done anything for the Cowboys but add more years of playoff frustration. I'm ready for a change at the QB position.

Well, what you are going to get is a new contract to create cap space before March 13th.

 

[CowboyStar88]

yes. But at some point you either have to pay the piper or eat a ton of dead money down the road.. The 3rd option is a trade.

I’m looking at this from the standpoint of them eating the dead money down the road. But as @gimmesix pointed put it would be 56million. Doesn’t make any sense they bent themselves over a barrel.

 

[CowboyStar88]

 

[Jimbo123]

Trey Lance is the option today if we move on from Dak. But things can change fast in this league.

 

[gimmesix]

exactly. Which is why I feel something will happen via trade. Jerry isnt about to do this when his HC is in his final year. No way. Somebody not getting paid.

Most of that money will be pushed to the back end of his contract. This year, we'll end up paying him in the lower $30s, which will save almost $30 million against the cap. The next year will be similar to that before the cap number starts shooting up. The Joneses believe in their QB independent of their head coach.

I'd probably be more inclined to push money into his void years to put off redoing his contract until then. It doesn't affect his pay, so I don't think Dak would care that much, but it allows the front office to give the team another chance to see if it can succeed with him at QB before possibly offering him a new deal and to get a good look at Lance in camp and see if he shows the potential to live up to being a first-round pick. Trouble is the bonus hit would already be tremendous heading into any kind of new deal, and Lance also will be a free agent, so if he does show potential we'll have to pay him and take the huge hit from those void years.

 

[CowboyStar88]

 

[gimmesix]

You said the only option ownership is looking at is extending Dak. I don't think that it is...especially with the Lamb and Parsons deals knocking on the door so to speak.

I think you are being unrealistic in your expectations of this ownership. Extending Dak saves them almost $30 million in cap space this year and there's no reason to believe that they have lost faith in him since he had an MVP runner-up season.

You may feel differently than they do, but I haven't seen any indication that they are interested at all in moving on from Dak.

 

[LatinMind]

Before any other contract is signed, the Cowboys need to figure out what they want to do with quarterback Dak Prescott, who is entering the final year of his contract with a $59.45 million cap hit and a dead cap value of $61.91 million. The Cowboys cannot realistically construct a winning team with Prescott's contract as it is, so they'll inevitably have to either extend him, trade him, or cut him.


“If we get to March and the Cowboys, for whatever reason, have decided they don't want to extend Prescott… then things get interesting," ESPN's Dan Graziano said. "Prescott's 2024 money is not guaranteed. The Cowboys could cut or trade him prior to paying the March roster bonus and save $34 million on their 2024 cap."
Regardless of the salary cap, there isn't any clear path to a quarterback upgrade for Dallas. Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield will be the headliners of a lackluster free agency, and any trade will likely result in a downgrade at the quarterback position.

Finding a franchise quarterback is a daunting task, and Prescott is a three-time Pro Bowler who just had an All-Pro season despite coming up short in the playoffs again. Only a handful of quarterbacks would represent an obvious upgrade, and none of them will be available for trade. All that leaves are the quarterbacks that Dallas currently has on their roster . San Francisco gladly traded Lance away just two years after spending multiple first-round picks to draft him third overall, so it's unlikely that he's a viable answer.

"The Cowboys know how hard it is to get a good quarterback and Prescott is largely considered a top-10 passer in this league," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said. "So, it would be mildly surprising if they moved on from him, but with that 2-5 playoff record, certainly that could be a negotiating point for Dallas that comes up over the coming months."

Extending Prescott is the most reasonable move if Dallas wants to remain competitive. And remaining relative and competitive is our owners first priority. He appears to be “ All In” on this current core of stars even recently stating we will go as far as Dak takes us.

Also worth noting is in McCarthys lame duck season without a contract extension it’s very doubtful they change QB’s. That leaves us basically negotiating how big and how long the extension.

Cowboys can simply add voidable yrs and spread that big 2024 salary. Dallas will have all the money they need one way or another

 

[CowboyStar88]

Cowboys can simply add voidable yrs and spread that big 2024 salary. Dallas will have all the money they need one way or another

They’re gonna back that brinks truck up watch. Gonna go all in for another 4 years of mediocrity. I don’t have high expectations for 24.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

I would note here that according to sources the salary cap for next year is expected to be about $243 million. This year it's $224.8 million

So the Cowboys could have an additional $19.2 million next year. That could go a long way towards signing Lamb or whoever. And I would also note Lamb and Parsons are still under contract for 2024 already. Cowboys don't have to resign them this year, though that would be prudent, another year like each had and their value will go up even more.

 

[Silverstar]

Well, what you are going to get is a new contract to create cap space before March 13th.

It's not just about creating cap space. It's also about paying even MORE tons of money to a 2-5 playoff QB expecting different results.

I'll root for whoever lines up behind center, but I already know what I'm going to get if it's Dak again.

If so, I pray we have a monster running game this year.

 

[gimmesix]

I would note here that according to sources the salary cap for next year is expected to be about $243 million. This year it's $224.8 million

So the Cowboys could have an additional $19.2 million next year. That could go a long way towards signing Lamb or whoever. And I would also note Lamb and Parsons are still under contract for 2024 already. Cowboys don't have to resign them this year, though that would be prudent, another year like each had and their value will go up even more.

I would be extremely surprised if we don't work out an extension with Lamb this year to lower his cap hit significantly. Most likely with Parsons, we'll activate his fifth-year option ($24 million) for 2025 and then work on an extension.

 

[john van brocklin]

Cowboy fans.

This isn’t about what we think we should do but what options do you think our ownership is looking at.

They are extending Dak.
Isn't it obvious?

 

[gimmesix]

It's not just about creating cap space. It's also about paying even MORE tons of money to a 2-5 playoff QB expecting different results.

I'll root for whoever lines up behind center, but I already know what I'm going to get if it's Dak again.

If so, I pray we have a monster running game this year.

That's why I would push base into the voidable years instead. Lower the hit for this year without adding any new money, and if we don't get any better playoff results, we can eat the bullet the next year. The 2-5 playoff record is on the team (him included), and not just him, but eventually you have to go another direction. I'd put that off for a year and take a real close look at Lance to see if that's the new direction I want to try for a year (if he hasn't played in the regular season, he won't be the expensive to re-sign for a starter tryout) before possibly crashing and burning and getting an early enough draft position to go after a first-round QB.

Next year would be make-or-break for both Dak and McCarthy because no matter what we do with Dak this year, we are going to be paying him a lot of money ... $59 million to keep him, $62 million to cut him, which I can't see the team doing.

 

[Mk2_Cowboys]

Dak’s tenure here can’t end fast enough. I’m writing off next year and won’t be watching if Dak and McCarthy run it back. There would be no point in it.

 

[mardwin]

Dak’s tenure here can’t end fast enough. I’m writing off next year and won’t be watching if Dak and McCarthy run it back. There would be no point in it.

You'll be watching, the team is going to be stuck for a while. Dak is the Jason Garrett of QBs

 

[nightrain]

Utter and complete bull feces.

Another Stevie Wonder fan.

Wow, did you come up with those responses all by yourself? Sounds like you are the type who ran away from home but couldn't find the circus. Don't ever give up on your future as a clown, you are a true bozo.

 

[rambo2]

They are extending Dak.
Isn't it obvious?

Even for John.